Who hasn’t been in a bar sometime and seen a member of the opposite sex that you thought was “giving you the eye” but you didn’t have enough Highballs to go start up a conversation? For most that’s a missed opportunity, but for Wyatt Durrette and Zac Brown it is a No. 1 song, “As She’s Walking Away.”
The song’s origins started in a bar in Orlando, Fla., one night after the Zac Brown Band had played a concert there with Los Lonely Boys. Co-writers Wyatt Durrette and Zac Brown were in the bar together. As Wyatt tells it, he spotted an attractive brunette giving him the eye. Being a southern gentleman, though, he didn’t dare approach her as she was with a man already. But it did get the thought process started for “As She’s Walking Away”.
Wyatt told CountryHound that he wrote the chorus and first verse and then later got with Zac to finish writing it. He added that Zac’s arrangement of the song really put the finishing touches on it. Wyatt said he felt pretty good about the song when it was done. “You never know if it’s going to be a No. 1 or anything like that, but as a writer you get that feeling in your gut that we wrote a pretty good song.”
One of the reasons Wyatt thinks the song is so popular is that people can relate to it, even women. He added, “I don’t really try to make it relatable, I just write about what I live.” As for the women, Wyatt said, “Everybody has that feeling, even girls. You regret leaving a place and not talking to somebody when you felt there was some sort of attraction.”
As for his favorite lines from “As She’s Walking Away,” Wyatt likes the line he wrote, “When your heart won’t tell your mind to tell your mouth what it should say.” But he also likes one Zac penned: Don’t you let regret take place of the dreams you have to chase.”
Wyatt said he also thinks the song sounds like an old Country song. “It has a real Country throwback feel to it, and I grew up on the old Country stuff, and I love it.” And having Alan Jackson perform on it just added to the traditional Country flavor.
Wyatt is no stranger to No. 1 songs. He’s co-written four of Zac Brown’s five songs that have gone to No. 1. As for whether or not all this success has made him any braver about approaching women in bars, he says no. “I’m still a pretty shy guy. Once I’ve been introduced, I can hold my own, but I’ve never been that kind of guy who can walk up and hit on a girl in a bar. The first move has always been the hardest.”
They say nothing good happens in bars, but Wyatt Durrette and Zac Brown can contradict that. On that one night in a bar in Orlando, they didn’t walk away with the girl, but they did walk away with the origins of a No. 1 Country Music song, and a pretty one at that.
“As She’s Walking Away” Lyrics
We never spoke a word, but every thought she had I heard from across the room.
We were standing face to face I couldn't find the words to say, give me one more move.
I don't even know her name. I guess foolish pride's to blame
Now I'm fallin' in love as she's walking away
And my heart won't tell my mind to tell my mouth what it should say.
May have lost this battle, live to fight another day, now I'm fallin' in love as she's walking away.
Wise man next to me did say about the one that got away, son I missed my chance.
Don't you let regret take place of the dreams you have to chase, ask her to dance...go on son. You might fall down on your
face. Roll the dice and have some faith.
Don't be fallin' in love as she's walking away, when your heart won't tell your mind to tell your mouth what it should say.
May have lost this battle, live to fight another day, don't be fallin' in love, as she's walking away.
You might fall down on your face, roll the dice and have some faith.
And don't be fallin' in love as she's walking away, when your heart won't tell your mind to tell your mouth what it should
say. May have lost this battle, live to fight another day, don't be fallin', fallin' in, fallin' in love, as she's walking
away.
